Less than a week after a sudden announcement saw the cancellation of the fall season at the long-running Staten Island Pee Wee Football League, questions were left unanswered and some hearts broken.

SIPWFL vice president Jason Pearson told the Advance last Friday that the league, which has been in operation since 1958, will take a season off and focus on rebuilding and restructuring for the fall of 2018.

Pearson also claimed that all families, with the exception of four, had received refunds for registration fees. But several parents reached out to the Advance to dispute that claim after Friday's article.

After speaking with some of those parents as of Wednesday night, each has received a refund. Pearson also confirmed that all final checks were mailed out Saturday.

Catherine Cammilleri, whose son has played with SIPWFL for the last five years, says she is distraught over the lack of communication that went into the league's decision.

"The main issue was that our kids were devastated and we were never even offered an explanation," she said. "They could've addressed this with a meeting. These kids were like a family, a brotherhood."

Cammilleri says she wished there was more transparency.

"We were never afforded the opportunity to try and think together collaboratively to try and come up with a plan," she said.

In early June, the league sent out an email stating the SIPWFL would be inserting its teams into the Suburban Youth Football League and abiding by those league's rules. They would also be doing everything in conjunction with the Richmond Borough Plainsman, although Pee Wee would still have its own standalone teams per division.

Two meetings were set up in the weeks ahead for new registration as well as to address any questions or concerns. There was a newfound excitement for the fall season.

All seemed to be going well until July 13 when Cammilleri's son's coach called for a parents meeting at a practice. He informed all of the parents that the league was shutting down and that refunds would be returned promptly so that parents could look for another league to register their kid for the season. But Cammilleri says no formal email or phone calls were made by Pearson or the league informing them of this bombshell announcement.

Linda Poli, whose son had played alongside Cammilleri's child, expressed the same disappointment.

"I'd like to know why is it that we had to wait all this time [for the refund]," she said. "Wouldn't it have made sense for him to send these refunds out before the article came out."

"My son was hysterical when he found out that that was it," Poli added, "and he's like 'Ma, I don't want to play football with kids I don't know and it's not going to be the same'."

Her son will not be playing football this fall, along with some of his teammates. Meanwhile, some kids did switch to Staten Island Boys or another league and/or team.

"Whoever wants to play football in high school, it's going to be hard for when they take a year off," Poli said. "He [Peasrson] didn't extend any courtesy, any, and let the parents know what was going on."

Poli says the right thing to do would have been to hold a parents meeting to announce the cancellation.

In a phone interview with Pearson Wednesday night, he mentioned that he would've tried to communicate better with parents, especially those who felt ignored or voiceless.

"If there was a better way to communicate with different people, maybe it was out there...but information changes," he said. "To say they weren't told by the league, but told by the coaches, the coaches are the league."

As for the refunds, Pearson said it just took time to track everyone's correct information down. Those who signed up less than 120 days ago and paid electronically received a electronic refund, while those who signed up earlier received a check, which took more time.

In January, Pearson was trying to merge Pee Wee with Staten Island Boys to assure that kids would have somewhere to play and to make a change that was easier for parents and players. But for various reasons, the merger never went through.

Low registration numbers were a key reason for shutting down the fall season, Pearson said. When the league was having registration for the spring season and they weren't able to field enough players, Pearson admitted "that was the first inkling" that they could have trouble with the fall season as well.

The league then tried to move forward with a merger or cut a deal with another league to keep things going, but all of those moves fell through.

The SIPWFL fielded 11 teams, including 160 players last season, according to Pearson.

They will now look toward increasing registration and revamping the league for the 2018 season.